August 16, 2023 Waters Kraus Paul & Siegel attorneys, staff and friends of the firm raised a firm-record amount of money and food for hungry North Texas children during the North Texas Food Bank’s 2023 Partners for Hope (P4H) law firm challenge.
The Waters Kraus Paul & Siegel team received two special awards and was named a “Diamond Partner” based on its volunteer work during the May campaign. The “Collective Force Award” recognizes the sheer number of volunteer hours marshaled by the firm, while the “#RaiseTheBar Award” recognizes the firm’s innovative social media campaign to increase awareness about food insecurity.
By the time the campaign concluded, the Waters Kraus Paul & Siegel team exceeded its internal goal and raised a total of $19,080, which will provide 57,240 nutritious meals to families in need this summer.
“We believe in the North Texas Food Bank and the important work they are doing,” said firm partner Chris Johnson, who served as co-leader of the firm’s Partners 4 Hope drive. “What we’re doing now will have a direct benefit for kids who may go hungry during the summer.”
This is the second year that Waters Kraus Paul & Siegel participated in the P4H Challenge, which the North Texas Food Bank describes as a “friendly competition” among law firms to spread awareness about the special challenges children face during the summer school break. Contributions provide desperately needed meals and nutrition assistance for school-age children, particularly during summer months when school cafeterias are closed and cannot provide free and reduced-cost breakfast and lunch.
Food insecurity is an ongoing and ever-changing crisis throughout the United States. Approximately 34 million people — including 9 million children — struggle to access food on a daily basis. In North Texas alone, one in eight faces hunger. Among children in Texas, the figure rises to one in five, according to the Feeding Texas nonprofit.
Hunger has far-ranging effects on children and adolescents, including delayed development, chronic illness like asthma and anemia, and behavioral problems like anxiety, hyperactivity and aggression. The North Texas Food Bank plays a crucial role in addressing hunger because many households do not qualify for federal nutrition programs, leaving them dependent on alternative support services.
Involvement in the food drive dovetails with Waters Kraus Paul & Siegel’s longstanding commitment to public service. Firm attorneys are known for their commitment to fighting for justice on behalf of individuals injured by exposure to toxic chemicals, defective products and other forms of corporate negligence. The legal team is also dedicated to giving back to the community through pro bono legal representation to provide equal access to the courts.
“All of us at the firm view the practice of law first and foremost as a public service,” said Waters Kraus Paul & Siegel partner and Partners 4 Hope co-leader Caitlyn Silhan. “Waters Kraus Paul & Siegel has long been committed to community service — locally in Dallas but also nationally in the other communities where we practice and represent clients. We do that through initiatives like Partners 4 Hope, as well as pro bono legal work around issues that impact our clients and society.”
